Wheeled tray.



.J. N. STEWART. WHEELED TRAY.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1'7, 1909.

Patented July 5, 1910.

@AnZVSzEen QHZ 9 1 Q YW UNITED STATES JOHN N. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEELED TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Application filed. September 17, 1909. Serial No. 518,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVheeled Trays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved wheel tray, for use in households, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or wherever it is desired to move articles of food, dishes, or any other articles, from one room or place to another.

It also provides an easily portable table or stand, for the use of invalids, or where refreshments are to be served, as at entertainments, etc., it being in fact suited to an almost infinite variety of uses.

My invention also includes means of collapsing the frame, for greater convenience in packing for shipment or storage.

The invention comprises a preferably three-wheeled vehicle, in combination with a series of removable trays, supported on and carried by the vehicle, the number of trays and supports therefor being determined by the uses to which the device is to be put.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a form of my device provided with two trays, with the trays in position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the vehicle. or frame, with the trays removed. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the frame, in its extended position. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the same, in collapsed position.

The frame consists essentially of three up right standards or legs 1, 2, 3, connected by horizontal side-bars 4, 5, and 6, 7 and enclbars 8, 9, all preferably of flat steel, said bars forming collectively acute angled triangles. Said bars serve as supports for the trays 10, 11. The side bars curve slightly inward, as seen in Fig. 2. The legs are preferably formed of steel tubing. The rear legs 2, 3 are mounted on supporting wheels 12, 13, rotating on horizontal axles 14, 15, rigidly secured in the lower ends of said legs. The front leg 1 is mounted on a wheel 16, which rotates in a fork 17, which fork has a swiveling action in the leg 1, thus enabling the vehicle to be guided in any desired direction. The wheels are provided with rubber tires.

I make the vehicle-frame collapsible by providing the rear or end bars 8 and 9 with pivots 18, 19, 20, 21, securing them at their ends to the legs, and also, at their central points, with pivots 22, 23, so that said bars are capable of being broken into the positions shown in Fig. 4. I also provide one of said bars, preferably the upper bar 9, with a downwardly curved extension 24 of one of its members, said extension, when the frame is in normal position, as in Fig. 3, having its extremity secured to a leg 3 by a screw 25, thus forming a brace for the bar 9 and addingmaterially to the rigidity of the frame. The elasticity of the steel side-bars 4, 5, 6, 7 allows them to move from the extended position, as in Fig. 3, to the collapsed position, as in Fig. 4, or the reverse, without difiiculty.

The trays are preferably oval in form and provided with overhanging rims or flanges, in the usual manner. The lower tray 10, when in position on the side-bars, as in Fig. 1, has its oval rear end between and abutting against the rear legs 2, 3; and the front end of said tray'is provided with a projecting fork-shaped lug 26, which embraces the front leg 1, thus holding the tray firmly in position, but permitting its removal by simply lifting one end. The upper ends of the legs extend slightly above the level of the side and end bars, and are beveled inwardly, as shown at 27, 28, Fig. 1; so that the upper tray 11 rests upon its supporting bars with its flange engaging and overhanging the tops of the legs, which act as stops, to hold it in position. I also preferably provide the front edge or flange of the upper tray 11 with a downwardly projecting ring or loop 29, which engages the upper end of the front leg 1 and prevents lateral displacement of the tray.

The number of the trays may be increased at will by increasing the height of the legs and providing suitable supports for the intermediate trays.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a wheeled tray device, a frame having three standards or legs, supporting wheels upon which said standards are mounted, and side-bars and end-bars at different heights connecting said standards, in combination with a series of trays adapted to rest on said side-bars and end-bars, the

upper ends of said standards projecting above theupperbars, and beveled inwardly and downwardly, and the upper tray having an outwardly and upwardly inclined flange orrimvadapted to engage the beveled ends of thestandards, substantially as set forth; i 7

211A wheeled tray vehicle consisting of a frame having three vertical 'standards or legs, supporting wheelsnpon which said legs are mounted, elastic'metal side-bars secured to the legs'and adapted to be sprung inwardly towardeach other, rear end-bars pivoted at their ends to the rear legs, level with the side-bars, and jointed central1y,' so as to admit of being broken down, to permit 15 the rear legs to be swung inwardly toward JOHN N. STEWART.

Witnesses:

WALTER D. ELMER, SAMUEL Comm. 

